Wire basket construction for storage rack

ABSTRACT

A wire basket useful in an over-the-door storage rack or a wall mounted application has wire front and side panels and criss-crossing wires forming a bottom. The wires in the front and side panels lie in vertical planes but are inclined from vertical within those planes to enable the baskets to nest for compact packaging. A short back panel occupies a vertical plane and is formed by inclined wires to accommodate nesting. The basket can be used with like baskets hung on frames mounted on a door to readily store thin, flat articles due to the vertical wall panels.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates generally to the storage of various typesof articles and deals more particularly with a wire basket that isparticularly useful in an over-door storage rack.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Over-door racks of various types have been proposed in order tostore clothing, shoes and other items, normally on a closet door. Spiceracks and the like are often hung on pantry doors or kitchen cabinetdoors to hold foods and other objects used in the kitchen. Racks ofvarious types have used wire trays or baskets to hold a variety ofdifferent types of articles. Although an over-door rack having basketsallows clothes and other items to be stored on a closet door thatotherwise is not normally used for storage, the racks that have beenproposed in the past have not been satisfactory in many respects.

[0003] In order to provide for convenient and compact packaging, it isdesirable for the baskets to nest inside of one another. However, pastefforts at constructing baskets that nest have relied on tapering thebasket walls from top to bottom so that the baskets are able to fitinside each other. While tapered walls are acceptable in someapplications, they reduce the storage space that is available inside thebasket in comparison to a straight-wall configuration.

[0004] Perhaps more importantly, some items do not fit well in a baskethaving tapered walls and can fall out of the basket, especially whensubjected to the force of a swinging door. For example, computer disks,video disks, compact audio disks, video cassettes, audio cassettes,books and other articles that are thin and flat are not stable whenplaced against a sloping surface such as a tapered basket wall. Thesetypes of items are better stored side by side on edge in an uprightposition against a vertical wall. Consequently, tapered baskets are notwell suited for media articles of this type, whether on an over-doorrack or otherwise. Because these types of items are at an angle whenstored against a sloped wall, they are prone to falling out of thebasket when the door is swung open or closed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The present invention is directed to a wire basket that isconstructed with straight walls, while at the same time having theability to nest compactly inside of a like basket. As a result, thebenefits of nesting baskets are obtained without the drawbacks oftapered basket walls. While the basket of this invention is well suitedfor use as part of an over-door storage rack for holding media articles,it is useful in other applications that involve the storage of a widevariety of articles and can be used in configurations mounted to wallsor other surfaces.

[0006] In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, awire basket has parallel side panels that are vertical, a vertical frontpanel, and a bottom formed by criss-crossing wires. The side and frontpanels lie in vertical planes and have individual wires in these planesthat are slanted or inclined. The wires attach at their upper ends withthe inside surface of a wire rim. Due to the slanted orientations of thewires, the basket can nest inside of another basket without theinterference that would occur with vertical wires. Therefore, thebaskets can nest inside one another in a compact configuration forpackaging while still having vertical sides and a vertical front panelto maximize the storage space and provide vertical surfaces foraccommodating thin, flat objects such as disks, cassettes and books.

[0007] This construction lends itself well to an over-door rack havingelongated frame sides that hang from the top of a door. The back of thebasket can be provided with a configuration that includes in-turned topends and a short back panel having free wire ends spaced below thein-turned ends. The in-turned ends can be fitted in slots in the framesand hooked behind lips, and the free ends of the back wire can bereceived in notches in the frames to provide a stable connection of eachwire basket on the rack structure.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] In the accompanying drawings which form a part of thespecification and are to be read in conjunction therewith and in whichlike reference numerals are used to indicate like parts in the variousviews:

[0009]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an over-door storage rack equippedwith wire baskets constructed in accordance with a preferred embodimentof the present invention;

[0010]FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the detail identifiedby numeral 2 in FIG. 1;

[0011]FIG. 3 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the basket andadjacent frame portions shown in FIG. 2;

[0012]FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the basket shown in FIG. 3;and

[0013]FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing two nested basketsconstructed according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Referring now to the drawings in more detail and initially toFIG. 1 in particular, numeral 10 generally designates an over-doorstorage rack that may be used to hold and store a variety of articles.The rack 10 may be hung on the upper edge of a hinged door which isshown only fragmentarily in FIG. 1 and identified by numeral 12.

[0015] The rack 10 has a supporting frame that includes a pair ofidentical frame sides, 14, each of which may include a plurality ofseparate pieces connected end to end. Short top pieces 16 of the framesides 14 have hooks 18 on their upper ends. Hanger brackets 20 may besecured to the hooks 18 and fitted over the upper edge of the door 12 inorder to mount the frame sides 14 on the door.

[0016] Each frame side 14 has a plurality of identical legs 22. Each leg22 has on its upper end a C-shaped socket 24 and on its lower end acomplementally shaped foot 26. Each foot 26 may be received in thesockets 24 of an immediately underlying leg 22 in order to connect thelegs end to end. The top pieces 16 have feet 26 on their lower ends tofit in the sockets 24 of the upper legs 22 on the frame sides 14,thereby connecting the legs 22 with the top pieces 16. Each frame side14 has on its lower end a special bottom piece 28 that is provided witha socket 24 on its top end in order to receive the foot 26 of thelowermost of the legs 22 on each side frame 14.

[0017] Each of the legs 22 has near its center a C-shaped slot or groove30 formed in one edge. Each of the grooves 30 has a bottom lip 32, asparticularly shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. Spaced below each of the grooves 30is a notch 34 which is formed in the same edge of the leg 22. Each ofthe legs 22 has an identical notch 34 formed near its upper end andspaced below a C-shaped groove 30 which is formed in each of the toppieces 16 near its lower end. Near its lower end, each leg 22 isprovided with one of the C-shaped grooves 30 which, when the legs areconnected, is spaced above an underlying notch 34 in the leg 22 which isadjacently below. Each of the bottom pieces 28 is provided with a notch34 spaced below the bottom groove 30 in the lowermost leg 22 on eachside.

[0018] The rack 10 is provided with a plurality of specially constructedwire baskets, each generally identified by numeral 36 and shown indetail in FIGS. 2-5. Each of the baskets 36 has a generally rectangularshape and includes an upper rim 38 constructed of a relatively-largediameter wire. The rim 38 includes a straight horizontal front portion38 a and parallel opposite side portions 38 b which are bent at rightangles from the opposite ends of the front portion 38 a. At the backends of the side portions 38 b in-turned end portions 38 c are bent at aright angle to portions 38 b and terminate in free ends.

[0019] Each basket 36 has a substantially rectangular front panel 39that is formed by a plurality of front wires 40 that may have a smallerdiameter than the wire used to construct the rim 38. The wires 40 arecontained in a common vertical plane that is occupied by the front panel39 which terminates at its upper end at the rim 38. The upper end ofeach wire 40 is welded or otherwise suitably secured to an insidesurface 42 of the front portion 38 a of rim 38.

[0020] As best shown in FIG. 3, each of the front wires 40 is slanted orinclined from vertical from top to bottom. The wires 40 on the left halfof the front panel (as viewed in FIG. 3) incline to the right from topto bottom. Conversely, the wires 40 on the right half of the front panel39 incline from right to left as they extend downwardly. Although theincline of the wires 40 can vary, their angle of inclination fromvertical is preferably between 25 and 45 degrees and is most preferablyabout 35 degrees. While the drawings depict an embodiment of the basketwhich includes four of the front wires 40 on each half of the frontpanel, different numbers of wires can be used.

[0021] Each basket 36 also has a pair of rectangular side panels 43which occupy vertical planes parallel to one another and perpendicularto the vertical plane of the front panel 39. Each side panel 43 isformed by a plurality of side wires 44 which are parallel to one anotherand located in a common vertical plane. The side panels terminate attheir top ends at the side rim portions 38 b. The top end of each of theside wires 44 is connected by welding or in another suitable manner withthe inside surface 46 of the corresponding side rim portion 38 b.

[0022] As best shown in FIG. 4, each of the side wires 44 is slanted orinclined from vertical. Preferably, the wires 44 on the opposite sidepanels are inclined in the same direction which, as shown in FIG. 4, isfrom right to left as the wires extend downwardly from the side rimportion 38 b. The wires 44 may have a wide variety of inclination anglesbut are preferably between about 25 and 45 degrees from vertical andmore preferably about 35 degrees from vertical. There may be virtuallyany number of the wires 44 in each side panel, and the wires may bespaced apart as desired.

[0023] Each basket 36 has a flat, horizontal bottom panel 47 formed by aplurality of criss-crossing wires 48 and 50. The wires 48 are turnedrearwardly from the lower ends of the front wires 40 and extend front toback along the depth of the bottom panel 47 of the basket. The otherwires 50 in the bottom panel are turned inwardly from the lower ends ofthe side wires 44 and extend laterally between the side wires on theopposite sides of the basket. The wires 48 are parallel to one anotherand are horizontal. The other wires 50 are parallel to one another andhorizontal and are preferably perpendicular to the wires 48. The wires48 and 50 may be welded or otherwise suitably connected with one anotherat the locations where they criss-cross one another.

[0024] Each basket 36 is provided with a short back panel which islocated in a vertical plane and formed by a plurality ofrelatively-short back wires 52. The back wires 52 are bent from the backends of the bottom wires 48 and are contained in a common vertical planethat is parallel to the plane of the front panel 39 and perpendicular tothe planes of the side panels 43. Each of the back wires 52 is slantedat an incline angle from vertical. Preferably, the angle of inclinationof each of the back wires 52 is the same as the front wire 40 associatedwith the same bottom wire 48.

[0025] The back panel includes a relatively large diameter top wire 54which extends horizontally. The top ends of the back wires 52 areconnected to an inside surface 55 of the wire 54. Wire 54 is spaced wellbelow the level of the rim 38 such that the back portion of each basket36 above the top wire 54 is open. The top wire 54 on the back of eachbasket has free opposite end portions 56 which are spaced directly belowand parallel to-the in-turned ends 38 c of the rim.

[0026] The rack 10 is assembled by assembling the frame sides 14 andconnecting the baskets 36 such that they extend between the frame sides.The frame sides are assembled by assembling the legs 22 together withthe top piece 16 and the bottom piece 28. The hanger brackets 52 may behooked on the hooks 18 of the top pieces 16 and hung on the top edge ofthe door 12 to mount the rack 10 on the door.

[0027] The baskets 36 are applied to the frame sides 14 by initiallyfitting the in-turned rim ends 38 c into the grooves 30 and slipping theends 38 c downwardly until they are behind the lips 32 as best shown inFIG. 2. The basket can then be swung downwardly such that the free ends56 of the top wire 54 are received closely in the notches 34. The wireends 56 may fit closely behind beads 58 (see FIG. 4), formed at theupper end portion of each notch 34. The fit of the in-turned ends 38 cbehind the lips 32 and the free ends 56 behind the beads 58 secures thebasket 36 in extension between the side frames 14 in a stable and secureposition.

[0028] The baskets are spaced apart vertically on the frame 10 andprovide for the storage of various types of articles. As shownparticularly in FIGS. 3 and 4, the front panels 39 formed by the wires40 and side panels 43 formed by the wires 44 are oriented verticallyrather than being tapered. This provides maximum volume within eachbasket for the storage of articles. Perhaps even more importantly, itprovides for vertical surfaces on the front and sides of the basketsagainst which relatively thin flat objects can be readily stored,including books, computer disks, audio compact disks, digital videodisks, video tape cassettes and audio cassettes, among other items.

[0029] It is a particular feature of the invention that the constructionof the baskets 36 allows them to be nested inside of one another in acompact configuration, as shown in FIG. 5. Even though the front andside panels of each basket occupy vertical planes, the wires 40 and 44in the front and side panels are angled so that they are able to lieside by side with one another when the baskets are nested together. Theinclination of the wires is important because when the top basket isinitially inserted inside of the lower basket, the bottom end of eachside and front wire in the top basket is offset from and preferablyabout half way between the upper ends of the wires on the sides and endsof the lower basket. The side and front wires on the upper basket areable to clear the rim 38 of the lower basket because the wires areconnected with inside surfaces of the rim. As the upper basket isprogressively lowered into the lower basket, the incline of the frontand side wires results in the lower end of each wire moving closer to acorresponding wire of the lower basket. When the baskets are fullynested in the configuration shown in FIG. 5, the rim 38 of the upperbasket is located a short distance directly above the rim of the lowerbasket, and the front and side wires 40 and 44 of the two baskets arelocated closely beside one another. The top wires 54 on the back panelof each basket are located one above the other similarly to the frontportions 38 a of the rims. Likewise, the back wires 52 of the twobaskets are located side by side when the two baskets are fully nested.Any number of the baskets can be nested in this fashion to providecompact packaging.

[0030] It is important to understand that if the wires of the basketswere oriented vertically or close to vertically, they would contact oneanother and interfere with nesting of the baskets before the basketscould be fully nested. Consequently, nesting in a compact configurationis made possible due to the inclined orientations of the side and frontwires (and the back wires during the final part of the nesting). As aresult of the basket construction of the present invention, pluralbaskets can be nested compactly inside one another for convenient andcompact packaging, as well as compact storage when the baskets are notbeing used.

[0031] While the baskets 36 are particularly well suited for use in anover-door storage rack, they are equally useful in other applications,particularly applications in which nesting capability is desirableand/or there is a need to store flat, thin objects on edge.

[0032] From the foregoing it will be seen that this invention is onewell adapted to attain all ends and objects hereinabove set forthtogether with the other advantages which are obvious and which areinherent to the structure.

[0033] It will be understood that certain features and subcombinationsare of utility and may be employed without reference to other featuresand subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope ofthe claims.

[0034] Since many possible embodiments may be made of the inventionwithout departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood thatall matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is tobe interpreted as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:
 1. A storagebasket comprising: an upper rim; a pair of opposite side panels eachincluding a plurality of spaced apart side wires extending from said rimwith the side wires on said opposite side panels contained insubstantially parallel planes, each of said side wires having a slantedorientation offset from vertical; a front panel extending between saidside panels and including a plurality of spaced apart front wiresextending from said rim and contained in a plane substantiallyperpendicular to said planes of the side panels, each of said frontwires having a slanted orientation offset from vertical; and a bottomconnected with said side panels and said front panel.
 2. A storagebasket as set forth in claim 1, wherein said bottom includes a pluralityof crisscrossing bottom wires connected with said side wires and withsaid front wires.
 3. A storage basket as set forth in claim 1, wherein:said front panel presents a pair of opposite side portions; and saidfront wires in one of said side portions are slanted oppositely to saidfront wires in the other of said side portions.
 4. A storage basket asset forth in claim 1, wherein: said rim has an inside surface and anoutside surface; and each of said side wires and front wires isconnected with said inside surface of said rim.
 5. A storage basket asset forth in claim 1, including a back panel extending upwardly fromsaid bottom and including a plurality of spaced apart back wirescontained in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of said frontpanel, each of said back wires having a slanted orientation offset fromvertical.
 6. A storage basket as set forth in claim 5, wherein saidbottom includes a plurality of criss-crossing bottom wires connectedwith said side wires and with said front and back wires.
 7. A storagebasket as set forth in claim 5, wherein said back panel terminates at alocation below said rim.
 8. A storage basket as set forth in claim 7,including a substantially horizontal top wire on said back panelextending between upper ends of said back wires.
 9. A storage basket asset forth in claim 8, including: a pair of free ends on said top wire;and a pair of in-turned ends on said rim spaced above and substantiallyparallel to said free ends, said free ends and in-turned ends beingadapted for hanging the basket on a support.
 10. A basket adapted tonest within a like basket, comprising: an upper rim having a pair ofopposite side rim portions and a front rim portion; a pair of oppositeside panels extending downwardly from said side rim portions insubstantially parallel planes, each side panel including a plurality ofspaced apart side wires extending in one of said planes at a slantedorientation offset from vertical; a front panel extending downwardlyfrom said front rim portion in a front plane substantially perpendicularto said planes of the side panels, said front panel including aplurality of spaced-apart front wires extending in said front plane at aslanted orientation offset from vertical; and a bottom extending betweensaid side panels.
 11. A basket as set forth in claim 10, wherein saidbottom includes a plurality of criss-crossing bottom wires connectedwith said side wires and with said front wires.
 12. A basket as setforth in claim 10, wherein: each side rim portion has an inside surfaceand an outside surface, said side wires being connected to said insidesurface of each side rim portion; and said front rim portion has aninside surface and an outside surface, said front wires being connectedto said inside surface of said front rim portion.
 13. A basket as setforth in claim 10, including a back panel extending upwardly from saidbottom and including a plurality of spaced apart back wires contained ina plane substantially parallel to said front plane, each of said backwires having a slanted orientation offset from vertical.
 14. A basket asset forth in claim 13, wherein said back panel terminates at a locationbelow said upper rim.
 15. A storage rack for hanging on a door,comprising: a pair of spaced apart side frames adapted to be hung on adoor; and a plurality of baskets connected to extend between said sideframes at vertically spaced positions, each basket including: (a) a pairof opposite side panels each including a plurality of spaced apart sidewires contained in a substantially vertical plane, each side wire havinga slanted attitude offset from vertical; (b) a front panel extendingbetween said side panels and including a plurality of spaced apart frontwires contained in a plane substantially perpendicular to the planes ofsaid side panels, each front wire having a slanted attitude offset fromvertical; (c) a bottom connected with said side and front panels; and(d) a back end portion of each side panel having a detachable connectionto one of said side frames.
 16. A storage rack as set forth in claim 15,including a back panel extending upwardly from said bottom and includinga plurality of spaced apart back wires contained in a planesubstantially parallel to the plane of said front panel, each of saidback wires having a slanted orientation offset from vertical.
 17. Astorage rack as set forth in claim 16, including: a rim extending alongupper ends of said side panels and said front panel; and a substantiallyhorizontal top wire on said back panel extending on an upper end thereofat a location below the level of said rim.
 18. A storage rack as setforth in claim 17, including: a pair of free ends on said top wire; anda pair of in-turned ends on said rim spaced above and substantiallyparallel to said free ends, said free ends and in-turned ends beingapplicable to said side frames to releaseably secure each basket to saidside frames.
 19. A storage rack as set forth in claim 15, wherein saidbottom includes a plurality of criss-crossing bottom wires connectedwith said side wires and with said front wires.
 20. A storage rack asset forth in claim 15, including a rim extending along upper ends ofsaid side panels and front panels and having inside and outsidesurfaces, said side wires and front wires being connected with saidinside surface of said rim.